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.470 Capstick
The .470 Capstick is a large-caliber, dangerous game hunting cartridge developed by Col. Arthur B. Alphin of A-Square in 1990. It is named after the hunter and writer Peter Hathaway Capstick. Design Details The .470 Capstick was based on a .375 H&H Magnum case that is blown out and necked to accept a .470 inch bullet. It even has the same rim and belt size as the .375 H&H Magnum. With a 500 grain (32 grams) projectile, it could achieve a muzzle velocity of 2,400 feet per second. While it does not have a very flat trajectory due to low muzzle rates, it is flat enough for use to 250 yards. Transmitting a particularly large amount of power, with a rating of 6,000 ft-lbf (equivalent to 8000 J), it is designed for use against dangerous game out to 200 yards. Dimensionally, it is similar to the .475 Ackley, but while the aforementioned used a 600 grain (39 grams) bullet, the .470 Capstick used the lighter 500 grain bullet for a better trajectory. While there are similarities between .470 Capstick and .475 Ackley, the former features a ghost shoulder, allowing it to achieve excellent accuracy. Using a ghost shoulder helps the cartridge to line up concentrically with the bore axis, contributing to accuracy. The .470 Capstick can fit in with the same length action as the .375 H&H Magnum and .458 Lott, the latter of which being a good measuring stick for the .470 Capstick. The Capstick bullet has a 7% larger cross-section than the .458 Lott, which in theory would result in more shock transfer to game and a larger wound channel. Between the two, powder capacities and muzzle velocities are similar, with .470 Capstick having a slight edge in terms of powder capacity, meaning a slight edge and theoretical velocity. But, for field uses, both the .470 Capstick and .458 Lott should have identical performance due to the differences between them being small. That being said, the differences in field results between the .458 Winchester Magnum and .470 Nitro Express should be non-existent. This is because, that both calibers push a 500 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 2,150 ft/s, but some people have noted an observable difference in the way that shot game behaved with those two calibers, possibly due to the greater cross sectional area of the .475 inch bullet. If desired, the .470 Capstick is usable for creating a ballistic twin to the .470 Nitro Express, pushing a 500 grain bullet at 2,150 ft/s while generating low pressure. While it is possible to use 600 grain bullets in the .470 Capstick cartridge, its powder capacity is not sufficient to push 600 grains at anything near 2,300 ft/s without high pressure, so this is not the most viable bullet weight for the Capstick. 500 grain bullets appeared to be the best all-around compromise. With full power loads, the recoil is significant but not too difficult to control or get accustomed to. Recoil from a cast lead bullet is almost non-existent. For lighter game and plinking, 400 grain (26 grams) bullets are an ideal candidate, though they generate almost as much recoil as a 500 grain bullet. External links *.470 Capstick at Municion.org (Spanish) *Wikipedia article Category:Commercial cartridges Category:Rifle cartridges